The Little Things
by Woily
Summary: Set after Hueco Mundo arc - is Ichigo really what Inoue wants?
1. The Little Things

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's probable that even the plot has been done before.

Inoue Orihime had three truths.

One: Kurosaki Ichigo loved Inoue Orihime.

Two: Kurosaki Ichigo also loved Kuchiki Rukia.

Three: For one night every year, Inoue Orihime would not be as important as Kuchiki Rukia.

It had been a year since they had last seen Kuchiki, but to Inoue, it had been far too long. Even though they had all hoped that some exception might be allowed, given that the humans in question were not ordinary humans and had, in fact, saved the entire universe, Kuchiki was to be given one day a year to return to Karakura Town and visit. They crowded into the restaurant, and sat around the biggest table there was. Inoue sat next to Kurosaki, of course, but she found herself doing it out of habit more than any real desire. Kuchiki sat on his other side, and this seemed to Inoue to be quite a fitting arrangement. She noticed that no one sat on her other side, and found this quite odd. But then, she had put her purse there quite quickly, hadn't she? She didn't stop to think about it, as her eyes were on Kurosaki.

Instead of the doting gaze she was so accustomed to, she found herself studying him - actually looking at him critically, as if he was a design of hers in which something seemed a little off. This didn't happen usually, as she found that fashion design came quite easily to her, but she was familiar enough with the frustration. He was dressed, as usual, in a t-shirt and jeans, even though they had gathered in quite a nice restaurant. It seemed to her that she hadn't seen him dress nicely since their graduation.

The others looked nice, but not over-dressed, and she noticed that Kuchiki had seemingly abandoned her dresses in the past year. She wore instead a small pantsuit, and she looked terribly grown up. It was then that Inoue realized that they were all grown up - a group of twenty-somethings who were all relatively successful. Perhaps Kuchiki was just trying to fit in?

Inoue herself was dressed in black slacks, heels and a blue silk top, her jacket relegated to the back of her chair. She enjoyed the looks she got, but noticed that her fashion sense was at odds with Kurosaki's. After all, how were they supposed to be together if they never looked like they were together? She had tried making him something once, just once, and he had complained about how uncomfortable he was in the dressier clothes, and never wore them again. She never considered making him anything again.

They finally progressed past all the greetings, and started getting into the meat of things. Who had broken up, who was together. New jobs, new classes and the like. Inoue seemed to be drifting, unable to hold her focus, trying so hard to actually process the details she was abosorbing. Kuchiki, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear and soaking up all the details about her friends' lives, and Kurosaki was basking in her glow.

It was the little things about him she found she truly couldn't stand. The big things didn't seem to matter as much. They tended to be things that were much more forgivable in a long-term sense, and things that rarely intruded upon their easy lives. To be sure, he had been in love before, but Inoue was not so insecure as to think he could never love her, too. She didn't even mind the fact that once a year, Kurosaki almost completely ignored her in favor of the woman he had once loved. She understood, and she knew that neither of them would ever be anything other than completely proper.

She understood many things about him, and she tried to be as calm and rational as possible, but sometimes the smallest things about him seemed to bother her so. It was in the way he would come to her home all sweaty from training, and scoop her into a giant hug. She loved his hugs, but she couldn't help but feel repulsed at the feel of his grimy face pressed into the side of hers. It was the way he ate, the way he would get a haircut that was obviously meant to be styled and then come home and never do anything with it again, and the way he would put his plate in her sink with food still on it. They were little things, and constant reminders that though she surely loved Kurosaki, she may not be as in love with him as she had once been.

Kuchiki had begun to talk about her own life, now that the server had taken their orders and left, and Inoue noticed Kurosaki's unwavering attention. She found it funny that he didn't stop paying attention to her, not once, when that was the littlest, worst thing about him. Inoue understood that sometimes her mouth got ahead of her brain and she would begin to babble, and she was truly trying to stop it. But surely he would at least have the courtesy to pay attention to his girlfriend, no matter what nonsense she was spouting? He began to engage Kuchiki in conversation, and though his voice is exuberant, one of the qualities of him that she loves so much, it is not gruff. Inoue tried to remember the last time she heard such a delicate, gentle tone to his voice, and she found that the last memory she had was a year old, exactly. She found it odd, when she had certainly always been the more delicate between herself and Kuchiki, but she didn't bother to dwell on it. She never really did.

She looked up at the sound of the bell tinkling at the door. It was a busy restaurant, and it was not any news that anyone would be coming in, but she found she could not hold her attention on Kurosaki any longer. Brushing the snow off of his long, dark overcoat, Ishida stepped in, and began to unwrap his scarf. He walked over to the table, and Inoue found herself removing her purse from the chair next to her before she could even think about it. When her thoughts caught up to her actions, she began to hesitate. Would he want to sit next to her? There were a few spots on the other side of the round table that provided a better view of Kuchiki, which he would surely appreciate, and which would allow him to sit next to someone he perhaps liked better. But she did not hesitate long, for she knew that having started the action, she had to finish it. To return the purse now would be an insult to him.

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised when he draped his coat over the back of the chair next to her, followed by the scarf, and easily sat. "My apologies Kuchiki-san, everyone. My exams held me up and I was forced to take a later train."

Someone inquired after his girlfriend whom he had met at school two years prior. She was a sweet girl, quiet, shy, but kind, and everyone had taken an immense liking to her, even if she knew nothing of their powers. "Hoshikawa-san still had a few exams to sit, and she did not want me to miss it. She sends everyone her regards."

After he had placed his order, the occupants of the table settled into several different conversations, and Inoue found Kurosaki to be quite busy talking to Kuchiki. Not that she supposed she expected anything different, but a simple conversation before she was ignored for the rest of the evening would have been nice. Ishida began to speak from next to her, and it was a moment before she realized that he had directed it at her. She shook her head to try to clear the odd fog from it, but found herself having no luck. She felt increasingly as if she was just watching her own life, and she was observing more than she ever had before. She decided to let it happen. After all, it could have been a sign that she was to pay attention, for important things may have been happening.

"Are you okay, Inoue-san? You seem out of sorts."

She found herself regretting that university had brought him out of his shell ever-so-slightly, and had given him a modicum of knowledge of emotion. She assured him that everything was fine, and began to ask about his exams.

"They went well. I'm sure I secured very good grades, and I have quite a bit of hope that I will continue to be at the head of my class. And your designing? How has that been?"

She made small talk about her tiny but growing fashion design business, and she noted with satisfaction that all of his clothing was from her men's line. All blues and whites and blacks and thin stripes, it seemed as if the entire line was made with Ishida in mind. He was her favorite marketing tool, anyway. She would send him clothing, and he would tell anyone who was curious who had made them. Sometimes it seemed to her that she heard from people he had referred to her more often than she heard from the man himself - this was especially true during study crunch time - but she always found herself pleased to know that he still wore the clothing she gave him.

She continued to talk, but decided for some reason to let her brain stop interfering in the odd things she truly wanted to say, but tried so hard to suppress. She began to talk about fashion design for aliens, and what they would like to wear, and continued on from there. But the oddest thing she found was that no matter how deep in the strange ideas she got, he never once stopped paying attention to her. He was completely focused on her, and he even made small interjections from time to time.

They continued to chat as they ate, and she observed him more and more, still feeling disconnected from her surroundings. As he spoke of his expectations for his last semester and the beginning of his medical residency, she noted the careful way his food made its way to his mouth from his plate. Everything about him screamed of his fastidious nature, and she found herself contrasting him to the occasionally yucky hugs of Kurosaki. She found she could not even imagine him grimy, much less getting it all over her. His hair was in a style that was obviously meant to be low maintenance. She assumed it was so that he could get up and go places in a hurry, and still look as if he was prepared. She found that she greatly approved of that.

She continued to think of all the things about Ishida she approved of, and found that the list continued. And there, as he was working on eating his dessert and the conversations were dying down, she realized that she could never imagine Ishida forgetting to take his shoes off as he came into her apartment, day in and day out. She could never see him as the type to mock her desire to work in the fashion industry, no matter how gently. She found that all in all, life with Ishida could be quite desirable.

And there it was. As she observed him she realized with a shock that pulled her our of her foggy state, that this was what her love life had been leading up to. The whole thing with Kurosaki, the annoyances, the love had all been preparing her for a relationship with the man next to her. They were both more confident now - she with her power, he with his peers. They hadn't been ready before, and much as she loved Kurosaki, she suddenly felt as if she had been merely passing the time. Her perfect man sat right next to her, and she suddenly wanted to shout it out, even in front of her friends, and the entire restaurant, and the entire town, 'I love you, Ishida Uryuu!'

She opened her mouth to recklessly satiate her desire to share her newfound knowledge, when he addressed the table. "So, I have news for you all."

She was tempted to tell him it could wait - after all, what she had to say was of the utmost importance. She decided, however, that it would be terribly rude of her to interrupt. After all, she had only realized it herself minutes before, and she could wait a few minutes longer. Ears perked up across the table, theories were silently formed in a flash, and everyone gave Ishida their attention.

One moment more, and she could tell him, just one more space of time.

"I'm going to ask Hoshikawa-san to marry me."

The only thing she could think was - Oh.


	2. That Which Was Missing

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Chapter 2 is way shorter, but I won't be long with the third. Enjoy!

The train was jostling him, but he found himself incapable of paying attention to it. It had been a gamble telling everyone about his plan to marry Hoshikawa, but he found that it hadn't had the effect he had been silently hoping for.

He had stated to the table that he was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him, and chatter immediately bubbled up. Questions and advice were fired at him from all sides, but as soon as he thought it would be socially acceptable, he had looked over at Inoue. He noticed her eyes on him and she looked the slightest bit startled, but he couldn't quite tell whether he had imagined it. Then she broke out into a grin, and he had thought it hadn't reached her eyes, but he wasn't completely sure it hadn't been wishful thinking. She then joined in the asking of the questions. On the way out of the restaurant, she had given him a hug, thanked him for "everything," and wished him all the luck she could muster, with a promise to continue wishing until she got word that Hoshikawa had said yes.

He went back over the memory again and again, but found each time that he couldn't determine anything more. He still had quite a bit of train ride in front of him, so his thoughts turned to the girl who might someday be his wife.

Hoshikawa Seiko was a shy girl, reserved and cautious. He found himself sitting next to her in several of his classes at the beginning of his second year. They had hit it off quite quickly, despite shyness from both parties, and had been dating since he had worked up the nerve to ask her out. Now, two years later, they hadn't progressed much further than going on dates. She had never once called him by his given name, and the few times he had done it had just felt awkward. He chalked it up to the fact that she was very traditional when it came to interactions between women and men, and he was only slightly less so. He thought that Inoue had always seemed traditional as well, but that she would allow her love to be a bit more passionate.

But he loved Hoshikawa. That much was certain. Though there was some tension at times, he knew she would make a wonderful wife. He got off at his stop and found himself at a point-to-point comparison, working his way back to his place without even really paying attention.

Hoshikawa was petite, bordering on tiny. Nothing truly remarkable could be said about her, except that she was beautiful in a very traditional sort of way. Inoue was not tall, but she was certainly gifted. He blushed and hastily moved on, thinking about her distinctly colored hair to distract himself. Inoue was thought of by just about every man she had ever come in contact with as completely stunning.

Inoue's apartment had not seemed as messy on his most recent visit (which was actually not recent at all), but Hoshikawa was even more neat than he was, though at first he had not thought it to be possible. Though it was a point of stress at times, because he believed that some of the things Hoshikawa did in the pursuit of tidiness were a bit over-the-top, he knew she could be trusted to be a partner in the household chores.

While he had always loved fashion design, Hoshikawa would have the same training as himself, and there would be aspects of his life that she would understand so much better than Inoue. When he came home from a long day's work, Hoshikawa would know what he was feeling so much more than Inoue could. He looked down at his perfectly tailored clothes and felt a swell of pride in Inoue, however. It may not be as important as saving lives, but she obviously excelled.

With Inoue, there was a shared knowledge that went beyond profession. She knew of his heritage, and he knew of her own extraordinary power. He had so far not told Hoshikawa, but it would never be a problem with Inoue. Sometimes he imagined that Hoshikawa wouldn't care, that she would accept him for him, and consent quickly to having her children raised in the Quincy traditions. Other times, however, he thought that perhaps she wouldn't be so tolerant, and that she might even leave him over it. Inoue, however, had been around for years. She had been to Hell and back with him, and he had helped her destroy the Hougyoku, effectively saving the world. Though Ichigo may have defeated Aizen afterward, none of it would have been possible without Inoue's powers, and she was always quick to point out that she would never have gotten the chance to destroy it without Ishida's help. She had seen firsthand what he was capable of, and he knew she would never mock him for it.

Then there was the biggest thing of all. He had agonized for quite some time over it, and he found that he still did not have a solution. How could he marry Hoshikawa when he had publicly sworn to protect another woman with his life, and when he had privately sworn to love her?

He opened his front door, hung his coat and scarf and changed into his pajamas. As he climbed into bed, he assured himself that no matter what, Inoue would always be unobtainable. She was a good friend, and he hoped she would always remain so. Hoshikawa would make a wonderful wife, and he would have to just get over Inoue. It would not be fair to Hoshikawa to be pining over another woman, and he decided that he would no longer think of Inoue in that sense. His promise to himself would just have to be broken.

After all, it just wouldn't do for his heart to be breaking as he proposed to another woman.


	3. In Pursuit of Better Things

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks for waiting! We're more than halfway there, now! Not too long to wait, either, until things finally get out of this soul-sucking angst. But I figured that I'd done it to Ishida, so I should probably do it to Inoue. Enjoy!

Inoue had seen it in his eyes the last time they had talked, this pending conversation. Now here they were, only a few days after Kuchiki had left, and he was sitting in her apartment, looking more serious than she had seen him in years.

Kurosaki was explaining to her that he was going to be leaving for Soul Society. It just made more sense, after all, that he train there, as training in the living world could only take him so far. He would, of course, never ask her to uproot her life her to come along with him, but leaving was something he had to do. He had felt as if something was missing since he had decided to continue his life in the human world.

"And if I should ask to accompany you?" It was a quiet question, carrying the slight weight of the hypothetical, not the heavy burden of hope.

He protested. It just wasn't fair for him to expect her to do leave. She had her fashion designing, and she had something to give her hope. He was working toward a degree he didn't want, for no good reason. He continued to rationalize going alone, words flowing in a desperate attempt to get her to understand without having to take the conversation deeper, until she said, "I'm not saying I will, I'm just asking how you would feel."

A few stutters later, he managed to eke out that he would be honored to have her by his side, but his eyes were on the floor. She could tell that he wanted nothing of the sort - not because he didn't want her, but because he didn't want to hurt her. He wasn't only going to Soul Society for training - he was going for love. A love he was willing to give up even his life for.

He had come to her apartment in the middle of one of the sunniest days they had enjoyed in some time for nothing less than a clean break, and she knew exactly what would happen when he got to Soul Society. He was all but asking her permission to leave her for another woman.

And she found she did not care as much as she had thought she would. It was an odd time to think about it, but she couldn't help but notice that they seemed just as mismatched now as ever - with her in green and white, and him in denim and blue. "It's Kuchiki-chan, isn't it? You love her."

He immediately launched into a vehement denial, but she cut him off. "We both know it's true, Kurosaki-kun. It's okay. I'm not mad."

He quietly inquired if she was quite sure that she wasn't mad, noting that if he were in her place, he would be quite angry. "I've always kind of known that it would come back to this," she reassured him. "But it was good while it lasted, wasn't it?"

They proceeded to reminisce about their relationship, and how Kurosaki had known that he loved Kuchiki. It hurt her a little, she realized, but she was sure that was to be expected. After all, one does not take the leaving of one's long-term boyfriend lightly, no matter how much understanding has been granted.

He noticed the tears in her eyes and was quick to lend her a shoulder. She was just as hasty with an explanation that it was not his fault. She cried and explained the situation with Ishida as well as she could. She had surely realized too late, and Ishida would be asking his girlfriend to marry him any day. He interjected a statement of disbelief occasionally, and she thought for a second that perhaps he would never quite come to grasp the fact that it was Ishida who had grabbed her attention, and not someone else like him.

She realized that her admission had hurt him a little, just as his had hurt her, and though he had already told her he was in love with another woman, he had been in love with her at least a little as well. He would eventually get over the shock of losing her to his biggest rival, however. She was sure of it.

He started to formulate silly plans for her to win Ishida's affections, and they cheered her up considerably. After all, it wasn't often that Kurosaki indulged her enough to act silly for her. Eventually, however the topic of him leaving came around again, and he told her that he'd love to have her there to see him off.

"I'd like that, Kurosaki-kun." She stated firmly. "I'd really like that."

He left, and she shut the door behind him, feeling the weight that had been on her shoulders since Kuchiki's visit being lifted. Now she was free to do as she pleased - she was once again in the wonderful predicament of having to answer to no one.

She considered for one brief moment acting on one of Kurosaki's ridiculous plans, but she decided they were too risky. Though she had learned her self-worth, she also learned the value of quitting while it was still possible. She still had a friend - two if she counted Hoshikawa - and she liked to think she could. At that thought, all hopes were squashed. Surely it wouldn't be fair to poor Hoshikawa for her to make Ishida choose. She knew that she would all at once hope Ishida picked her, and be upset with herself for being so selfish.

She glanced around her apartment, taking note of the time. Surely they were out to dinner already. Inoue tried to imagine the classic scenario, but she just couldn't see Ishida being the nervous type, or Hoshikawa being the overly exuberant type. More likely, he would pass her the ring over dinner, and she would quietly nod and slip it on, no need of words. Or perhaps he would use it to decorate Hoshikawa's desert, and she would eat around it until the last bite, refusing to pick it out of the desert or put it on until they could get the chocolate cleaned off? Or perhaps...

She forced herself to stop thinking of it all - first and foremost she would be a good friend. She remembered her assurance that she would wish him luck, and she proceeded to pray for both him and Kurosaki.

They both deserved to be happy, she told herself through her tears.


	4. What Can Be Found In Silence

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I just couldn't satisfy myself. Still haven't, but I guess it's as good as it's going to get. I'll be able to post the final chapter tomorrow. Enjoy!

Inoue awoke with her fingers itching with inspiration. She had been having dreams every night for almost a week, and though the plots didn't stay with her, design ideas did. She forced herself to go through her morning ritual of a shower, breakfast and tea before she began working.

It was a creative ecstasy, and she had thrown herself into her work even more than usual in the last week. She passed it off saying that she wanted to get a jump on the next season, but if she was truthful, and she could at least be so with herself, it was because of the beautiful dreams.

She had no idea what she dreamed of - as she awoke, the meat of the dreams, the action would fade away. She knew, however, that she was dreaming of him. She had visions of him and her, being together and happy. She didn't know what went on, only what they had looked like.

It was after the first night that she decided to do a design or two. After the second night, she couldn't help but do more. Soon, she had decided to do her entire next season based on them. She worked feverishly in the mornings, trying to get all the ideas on paper before they ran away, and she would spend the rest of the day perfecting them.

Her apartment was demolished, as she hadn't bothered to even go into the small studio she rented. She had sketches put up everywhere, from tiny ones on scraps of paper to large, detailed and colored designs. She knew the pin holes in the wall would drive her landlord crazy, but she was like a woman posessed, and she liked being able to look up and see the results of her work. She was entirely sure there had once been paintings on the wall, and that one of them had been painted bright yellow, but you'd have to look really hard through all the papers to see any of that.

She felt a little silly, but though she knew that Ishida would never be hers, she knew he would always wear the things she sent him, and that made the dream designs even harder to ignore. He would surely wear these like all the others, and every time she saw him wearing them she would be reminded of these dreams, and what they made her feel.

The knock on the door shook her from her thoughts, and she didn't bother to take the papers off the low table before she answered the door, as she was sure there would be no point, when the rest of the apartment was so crazy.

She stood there for a second, and a second only, overcome as Hoshikawa Seiko stood in front of her door, looking like absolutely nothing had happened.

Inoue managed to catch herself quickly, and invited the woman into the room. She quickly noticed that her hand was bare. Inoue assumed Ishida hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask her yet, and resolved not to say anything. Though she liked the girl now standing in the middle of her living room, her first loyalty was to Ishida.

"What can I do for you, Hoshikawa-chan?" she asked, wanting desperately to get back to work, but always willing to take time out for a friend.

"I just - I'm not sure." Hoshikawa replied, and it seemed that her calm demeanor was cracking.

Inoue offered for her to sit down, took her coat and offered tea, stacking things carefully away from the table to give the other girl a little buffer from the mess. "I'm sorry, if I knew you were coming, I would have cleaned up a little-"

"No, no, I obviously caught you in the middle of work, and there seems to be a bit of method to the madness," Hoshikawa replied, making a slight attempt at humor. She seemed to try to avoid looking at the papers everywhere, and Inoue assumed it was because she hated mess so much.

"So is this purely a social visit, or am I to assume something is the matter?" Inoue asked nicely, not wanting to pry, but quite curious as to why she was there.

"Well, you and Ishida-san are old friends, right?" She asked, suddenly nervous.

"We went to school together for a long time, but we only began to really have a close friendship during high school." Inoue decided to merely supply any information the girl needed. After all, she and Ishida were possibly having trouble, and it wouldn't be fair of her at all to try and intrude by going any further than facts. She would help Hoshikawa, no matter what, because in doing it she was helping Ishida, but she would not offer any unnecessary conjecture.

"Well, he's gotten more talkative over the last couple of years, and that's good, really good. He's not especially outgoing, but compared to where he was, he's made a lot of steps, huh?"

"Of course, and we all think you helped contribute to that."

"Thank you, but I really don't think it was me. Anyway, there's something that he doesn't talk about a lot. It's been bothering me for a while now, and though I think I've learned him quite well, I thought maybe I'd get some outside advice."

Going through a mental catalogue of all the things Ishida might not have told Hoshikawa, Inoue decided she would have to be on her toes now - she refused to be the one to tell her about Ishida's powers, or anything else that might not have ever come up. "I'll help in any way I can, Hoshikawa-chan."

"Well, he doesn't really talk about it very often, and when he does, he tends to cut himself off. And he doesn't get outwardly upset when the topic comes up, but he does usually to change the subject quickly, and he never brings it up himself."

Inoue wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to think of it. It seemed pretty typical Ishida to her, but she knew that it would have to be more than that to upset a girl like Hoshikawa.

"What do you think it could be?" Hoshikawa asked hopefully.

She thought back to the fight with Kurotsuchi Mayuri, to Kurosaki almost killing him in Hueco Mundo, to the one time he had not scored top marks on a test. He never got angry when someone brought these things up in innocence, but he never lingered on it, and certainly never broached the subject himself.

"I think, perhaps, it is something he is ashamed of? Without knowing more about it, I would say that he maybe thinks he has failed at something, whether he actually has or not, and doesn't feel comfortable talking about it.

"Well, it's not a something so much as a someone."

Inoue instantly felt relief. There was not as much chance now that she would have to lead the girl away from the idea of Ishida having odd powers, and therefore not as many opportunities to accidentally betray his trust.

"You see, he never really wants to talk about this person, though we see them on occasion. I thought they were friends, but I've noticed more and more lately a reluctance to talk."

"Perhaps they had a fight?" Inoue was not really sure where this line of questioning was leading.

"I don't think so. I think it would be pretty obvious if they had fought. I think it's something deeper than that. Any ideas?"

"I'm not sure."

"What if I told you it was a woman?"

Inoue was careful to school her expression. "I think that perhaps reluctance to talk about a woman would still indicate failure of some sort."

"Failure in love?"

Inoue wasn't sure what to say without hurting her friend, so she tried to skirt it. "Maybe. I mean, I don't believe Ishida had any relationships before you-"

"As far as I know, they were never in any kind of relationship other than friendly."

Inoue kept quiet. She knew what this meant. Not only did she have to give him up to Hoshikawa, but she had to do it knowing that he would be happier with someone else - and that was one more person she had to feel bad about being jealous of.

"You know, don't you? You know what it is. I'm a big girl, don't spare my feelings."

"Perhaps Ishida is in love with someone else."

"That's what I thought, too." Strangely, the girl didn't cry. She wasn't done with her questioning, it seemed.

"And if I told you they were still friends?"

"I wouldn't know what to say. Surely, though, Ishida would never do anything improper-"

"I know he wouldn't. He wouldn't even consider it. But I think maybe that she loves him, too."

Inoue thought perhaps that she would be the one to cry. She knew Hoshikawa, and liked her. At least she was losing Ishida to someone that was worthy. This other girl was perhaps not as worthy. She felt a wave of sympathy for Hoshikawa. Inoue at least didn't have any claim on him - she could only imagine how the other girl was feeling.

"What makes you think that she's in love with him, too?"

"It's just things about their relationship. I don't think she even knows yet."

Inoue reached over and hugged the girl, and they sat on the couch together, crying, one for a lost love, and one for a love never to be gained.

"He asked me to marry him today."

Inoue gave a slight start, but the girl was crying on her shoulder, and she didn't even think of moving away. "What happened?"

"I told him I couldn't. I told him I just couldn't do it. Not when he loved someone else."

"You said that to him? I bet he was unhappy."

"Actually, he mostly seemed dejected. Tried to deny it for a little bit, but in the end he couldn't. Then I left. I told him I just couldn't marry him, when he was so obviously..." she trailed off, as if trying to decide how far she wanted to take the statement.

"So obviously in love with someone else?" Inoue offered seriously.

"No, so obviously in love with you."

That is how Inoue came to find herself sitting on her couch, surrounded by sketched dreams of Ishida while Ishida's now never-to-be fiancée cried on her shoulder, after admitting that she knew Ishida had really loved Inoue all along.

"No, Hoshikawa-chan, you've made a big mistake-"

"Funny, that's exactly what he said." She seemed hurt, but made no move from Inoue's shoulder.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Can you swear to me that you don't love him? On our friendship?"

Inoue knew she could do no such thing. Fledgling as their friendship was, everyone knew that the people in Inoue's life would always be the most important to her.

The silence was more telling than anything else.

"Then swear to me that you'll love him."

Inoue shot up in earnest then, and Hoshikawa drew away to look Inoue in the eye for the first time since her confession. "I walked away from him this morning so that he could be happy with you, and also so that you could be happy with him. Please, Inoue-san, don't let that have been for nothing. Go to him - he needs comfort now."

"But what about you, Hoshikawa-chan?"

"I'll be okay. One day I'll find someone that loves me, and only me. For now, though, go to him. Please."

With a last, bone crushing hug, Hoshikawa Seiko walked out of her apartment and promised it would not be the last time they saw each other. Inoue quickly grabbed her coat and left as well, leaving behind her sketches for the reality that she had avoided for days. She thought that the train ride to Ishida's would be the longest of her life, but she was determined.

She would not let Hoshikawa's sacrifice have been in vain.


	5. The Biggest Thing

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Yay! The End! I had a brief idea for a sequel, but there's still a whole lot of kinks, and I have a few other projects. As far as I'm concerned, this is finished. Thanks for the lovely reviews, and for even clicking in the first place. Hope you like the last bit!

Inoue flew up his stairs, two at a time. Over and over in her head, she chanted, _he loves me, he loves me, he loves me._ She knocked on his door, and received no answer. After a second try, she went for the handle, and found the door unlocked.

The scene she stepped into broke her heart.

His apartment was a mess. Papers were everywhere, torn and wadded up. Books were scattered every which way, as if they had been thrown and left where they landed. She could see that his sewing box had been thrown and had burst open, and through the crack of the door to the bedroom, it looked as if that room had been destroyed as well.

And sitting in the middle of it, completely unresponsive, was the love of her life.

Inoue decided to take the gentle approach, knowing he wouldn't come out of it until he was ready. She merely went about tidying up. She put all of his books back on the shelves, doing her best to re-straighten the pages. She picked up his torn notes, and put them in a stack for sorting later. The sewing kit had proven to be a difficulty all on it's own, as it was hard to find the pins and needles in the carpet. Eventually, she had found what she believed to be all of them, and was going about arranging his sewing kit in the precise way that she knew he liked it when she heard him speak.

It was the quietest, most heart wrenching thing that she had ever heard. "Why can't anyone love me?"

Her first instinct was to deny it vehemently, but she forced herself, once again, onto the gentle track. She walked over to where he was sitting, and simply sat next to him. "There are plenty of people who love you, Ishida-kun." She whispered to him.

"Hoshikawa-san obviously doesn't."

"I think she loves you more than you know."

Ishida's face came up in a flash, and she couldn't tell if he was more angry or desperate. "Did she contact you?"

"She was crying on my shoulder an hour ago."

"What did she tell you? Anything?"

Inoue thought perhaps he was worried she knew just why Hoshikawa had left, and Inoue didn't really blame him, all things considered. "She asked for advice, cried, and sent me over here."

"Oh. So, what did you tell her?"

"I didn't say much of anything at all, actually. I don't know what she's doing next. She promised me we'd still be friends, and she asked me to come to you."

"She did?"

"Yes. You see, she wouldn't have sent me if she didn't care about you."

"She cares about me, but she doesn't love me."

Inoue was suddenly upset. "She loved you so much! You have no idea what it took for her to tell you no. She did it for you!"

He grew still, and Inoue knew she had made a mistake. "Perhaps I'm just supposed to be alone."

"Don't be silly Ishida-kun." She chastised. "You have friends who love you, and I love you."

"Yes, but you'll all have families one day. You'll marry Kurosaki and have tons of kids, and you'll never remember anything about me, will you? You won't even send the clothing anymore, and after that's done, we won't really have a link. You won't need the advertising anymore, and then there won't be a reason to call anymore. It'll be the same with all my other friends, too. That's just the way of things."

"You really think I send you my entire male line just because I need the advertising? Have you ever considered that I do it because I created them with you in mind? You've really never wondered why all the prototypes come in your size, and your favorite colors? I give them to you because I made them for you. And Kurosaki-kun would be a little alarmed at your picture of the future, I'm sure. I think he's going to be a bit too busy for kids, given that he'll be residing in Soul Society in a few weeks."

Ishida's eyes widened. "Are you going with him?"

"No. I realized that there's so much more for me here. Besides, he's got a thing for Kuchiki-san."

Ishida snorted, the first sign that he may be over the worst. "Everyone knew he had a thing for Kuchiki-san. I think sometimes even you knew he did."

"I knew. I convinced myself that he could love both of us."

"I think I know how he felt."

Inoue took her chance where she could - she wanted to hear it from his mouth before she openly admitted her feelings. Perhaps Hoshikawa had been wrong. "Ah, do you? Moving on so swiftly? I must say, I'm proud, if a little shocked."

"No, no, but I know what it's like to love the person you're with, but have a deeper love for someone else."

"Ishida-kun, you never said anything. Who is she?"

"It doesn't really matter. She's unattainable, anyway."

Inoue caught his gaze, and held it. "I don't know why you think she's unattainable. You're wonderful. Any woman would be lucky to have you."

"You know, don't you?" He asked. He knew he should have had the presence of mind to at least beg Hoshikawa not to say anything to Inoue.

"Yes."

"Hoshikawa-san?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here?" He knew that this day would come, but he had hoped to have a little longer. "It's okay, Inoue. I don't think I can handle your pity."

"Pity? You're Ishida-kun. You're smart, you're nice, you're brave. There's no reason for me to pity you."

"You would be okay still being my friend, then? Knowing what you know?"

"No. I don't think so."

Ishida wondered why it had hurt so much. He'd been preparing himself for it for years, now, but he found that it still hurt more than he could bring himself to say. "I don't want to just be your friend, Ishida-kun. That's not enough for me anymore. I need so much more than that." Ishida's eyes shot open, and he searched her for any sign of laughter. He thought that he hadn't seen her more serious since that day on the battlefield, so long ago, when she dealt Aizen's final blow before anyone else could begin to finish him. "That is, if you're willing to give it."

"Inoue Orihime, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner tonight?" He was surprised by the boldness of his statement, but he supposed it meant nothing against the boldness of hers.

"Gladly, Ishida-kun. Gladly."


End file.
